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This morning's walk.

Selfies always will wind up on the internet, Ian.

Hot chocolate in Memphis mugs while watching Made in Chelsea.

I went to a panto for the first time ever last week.  The story was loosely based on Sleeping Beauty.  Don't ask me to describe it because you won't get it.  I didn't get it when Megan was explaining it to me, but I thought it was just brilliant. 

Fog rolling up High Street in Inverness.

My favourite view in the whole world is in the back garden of a house in Balloch.

Coffee and a Dream Ring. BOOM.

Another choir concert in Dingwall! 

Good on ya, Inverness.

This morning, I went down by the sea.  I needed time to process all that has happened these past couple of days.  It was so refreshing to take a long walk all by myself.  Red nosed from the cold, I set out for the beach.

Can you remember a time where you have been very aware that all of your senses are being stimulated? 

There wasn't a could in the sky when I set out, so the air was almost icy from the cold. The tide was in, so I had to walk up on the pavement. I watched the waves slowly lap and then fiercely crash onto the rocks and sand.  I was in awe of the many textures that were in front of me.  The sea was choppy and rough while the sand was smooth and placid. Slick kelp washed up onto the shore. Snow covered the hills of the black isle. 

I could smell the briny scent of the sea as a frigid wind nearly knocked me off my feet. 

I felt bits of green grass popping out of the cracked black sidewalk through the soles of my wellies. I didn't dare stick my feet into the North Sea. The cold wind made my eyes water.  It almost felt like it was cleansing my soul as I walked along.  Things became clear in my head.  

I could hear the gentle slarsh of the tide coming in.  The seagulls chastened everyone who passed by.  I heard the busy sounds of a sleepy town coming to life in the morning.

I could almost taste the salt in the air and the abundant wildlife that the water provides.  

My heart ached because I've already started to say goodbye to people here.  Didn't I just say hello last week? Walking along the beach today awakened every part of me.  I took the time to feel and to ponder every encounter since I've been here.  

I've really had an incredible time.  Friendly, familiar faces greet me around every corner.  I'm used to Southern hospitality, but Scottish hospitality is something different. It's being greeted by an old gentleman dressed in green tweed who comments on how wonderful the weather is today.  It's being invited in for tea, sherry, or out for a coffee. It's eating homemade scones that feed both my stomach and my soul.  It's the trusting expression on someone's face that makes you believe that your secrets will be kept and not shared. 

I've been busy--almost as busy as I would be in Memphis.  I've spent a lot of time at the church and with the MacLeod's playing game after game of Skip Bo.

Listen to this song.

Life is good.